Load lifting cranes are commonly mounted upon the load bearing bed of a common truck. Such a configuration advantageously provides for stable vertical support of the crane. A drawback or disadvantage of such configuration relates to crane leveling and maneuvering. Trucks typically are difficultly leveled or stabilized upon uneven or sloped construction site surfaces. Also, trucks often are unable to traverse soft ground surfaces, and are unable to maneuver between closely spaced obstacles. Such disadvantages prevent truck mounted load lifting cranes from being utilized at many construction sites.
Construction site locations which are unreachable via a truck are commonly reachable via more mobile and maneuverable construction vehicles such as skid steer loaders, front loader tractors, and wheel loaders. However, such vehicles typically present no load bearing surface which is suitable for transporting, supporting, positioning, and stabilizing a load lifting crane.
The instant inventive crane support apparatus solves or ameliorates the crane related defects and deficiencies of trucks and loader vehicles noted above, while advantageously serving all of the above noted positive function of such vehicles. The invention accomplishes such objectives by providing a preferably hydraulically actuated auxiliary implement which is attachable to the lift arms and bucket dumping ram or rams of a skid steer loader, of a front loader tractor, or of a wheel loader. Such implement is capable of supporting a load lifting crane, provides for pivotal vertical alignment of such crane about both a lateral and a longitudinal axis, and provides for firm lateral and longitudinal stabilization of such crane.